Introverts

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Riskology: Blog for Introverts. It was a tough day in the trenches at The Travel Hacking Cartel, a business I run with friends.

We’d launched a new feature and the support inbox was blowing up with requests to test it out. Just when I’d worked through the backlog of support tickets (yep, I still do the support tickets), one last message comes in from Nora, a longtime member: Hi, I’m checking my credit card statement and it looks like I’m being billed twice every month. Hmm, haven’t seen that one before. Sure enough, though, two accounts had somehow been created, and she’d paid twice for a long time.

Looking back, there are lots of ways to solve this problem but, in the moment, I was tired and uncreative. The barista looks at me with a frown and apologizes. When I sat down with my revised order and opened my laptop, I knew exactly how to respond to Nora: Hey! Nora was perfectly happy with that, and the problem was solved.
Why introverted kids are awesome. Why You Should Hire An Introvert Now.

Are you a fan of the movies?

If so, do you like Tom Hanks, Steve Martin, Emma Watson or Audrey Hepburn? If you’re a fan of television, do you like Courteney Cox, Barbara Walters, and do you miss David Letterman? If you’re a sports fanatic, are you an admirer of legends like Michael Jordan or Larry Bird? In the world of business, do you believe that Warren Buffett, Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg have been quite successful? Agree that Abraham Lincoln was one of our best presidents? Did you know all are or were once introverts? Think about it. Not hiring them might have been a big mistake. Although the world is finally beginning to understand that introversion is not synonymous with shyness and introverts can be strong leaders and very effective employees, many employers are still falling far short in terms of getting introverts through the door. Extroverts—for all their positive attributes—tend to generate a lot of noise. One way is to find more signals.

Networking for Introverts. The hardest part of looking for a job for a majority of individuals is networking at an event.

For some, it is easy and comes naturally. For others, it is a painful endeavor and to go to a networking event brings panic and anxiety. The interesting thing about me is that I am an introvert.
Research Shows There May Be A Hidden Dark Side To Working With Introverts. How to run a brainstorm for introverts (and extroverts too)
Cocktail party trivia: Brainstorming was invented in the 1930s as a practical idea-generation technique for regular use by “creatives” within the ad agency BBDO.

That all changed in 1942, when Alex Osborn — the “O” in BBDO — released a book called How to Think Up and excited the imaginations of his fellow Mad Men. Since 1942, the idea-generation technique that began life in a New York creative firm has grown into the happy kudzu of Silicon Valley startups. Somewhere near Stanford, an introvert cringes every time the idea comes up of sitting in a roomful of colleagues, drawing half-baked ideas on Post-it notes, and then pasting them to the wall for all to see.

Introverts and Extroverts. Quiet Quiz: Are You an Introvert or an Extrovert?
QUIZ: Are You an Introvert or an Extrovert? (And Why It Matters)
Susan Cain: The power of introverts. Portrait of an Introvert. People don’t outgrow introversion, so the introverted adult was once an introverted child.

What is true of one is true of both. Contrary to popular opinion, introverts are not asocial, nor are they friendless loners who lack social skills. They simply have different social needs and preferences. Friendships Sebastian Pfuetze/Taxi/Getty Images It is not easy for introverts to make new friends because getting to know someone takes so much energy. Social Preferences Introverts need a lot of personal space. Preferred Activities Introverts enjoy activities they can do alone or with just a few others. Social Behavior Introverts tend to be quiet and subdued. Social Interaction While introverts may appear to lack social skills or be antisocial, neither is true. Verbal Expression If given a choice, introverts would rather express their ideas in writing than in speech. Emotions and Emotional Responses Introverts become emotionally drained after spending time with others, particularly strangers.

iStockphoto.com hide caption toggle caption iStockphoto.com From Gandhi to Joe DiMaggio to Mother Teresa to Bill Gates, introverts have done a lot of good work in the world. But being quiet, introverted or shy was sometimes looked at as a problem to overcome. In the 1940s and '50s the message to most Americans was: Don't be shy. Susan Cain — who considers herself an introvert — has written a new book that tells the story of how introversion fell out of style. Quiet The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain Interview Highlights On the difference between introversion and shyness "Introversion is really about having a preference for lower stimulation environments.